1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clip for a heat sink, and particularly to a lip which readily and securely attaches a heat sink to an electronic device.
2. The Related Art
A heat sink placed in contact with an electronic package, such as a central processing unit (CPU) module, transfers heat through conduction from the electronic package. Oftentimes, a heat sink is secured to an electronic package by a clip.
Referring to FIG. 5, a conventional clip comprises a first member 1 and a second member 2 coupled to the first member 1. The clip is placed on and secures a heat sink 20 to a CPU module 25 supported on a socket 90. The first member 1 includes a spring portion 3 with a leg 4 extending from an end of the spring portion 3. The leg 4 defines a first slot 6 for engaging with a catch 91 of the socket 90. A pair of arms 5 extends from an opposite end of the spring portion 3 to define a receiving space 7 for receiving the second member 2 therein. The second member 2, which is L-shaped, comprises a handle portion 8 extending above the spring portion 3 of the first member 1 for manual operation and a lower portion (not labeled) opposite the leg 4 defining a second slot 10 for engaging a catch 92 of the socket 90. The second member 2 defines a pair of notches 9 on opposite sides thereof for engaging with the arms 5 thereby connecting the first member 1 to the second member 2. The spring portion 3 is deformed to apply a spring force to the heat sink 20 for securing the heat sink 20 and the CPU module 25 to the socket 90.
However, a great force is required to operate the handle portion 8 for fixing the heat sink 20 to the CPU module 25. This makes it difficult to attach and detach the clip from the socket. Furthermore, the engagement between the second member 2 and the socket 90 may be unexpectedly broken due to external shocks applied to the heat sink 20 and/or the CPU module 25 whereby the heat sink 20 may become separated from the CPU module 25 and the socket 9.